Bicycle chain rusts in a few hours - please help?

[mickle]

Lemon juice though? WT actual F?

 

[OllieVintage]

Haha zacklaws, that would actually be really cool to own one of those, I will probably keep my eyes peeled at junk shops.

 

[OllieVintage]

Mickle - the citric acid in the lemon juice dissolves the coating of iron oxide (Fe2O3) on the exterior of the steel.

 

[OllieVintage]

Fair does...

Whist we are on the subject of vintage bikes does anyone know where I can get vintage style pedals. The type with asquared off front and rear rubber rail front and rear and a chromed frame and spindle through the middle.

The type of thing Gladis Emmanuel might have....

Hi Tom,

I find ebay extremely useful for acquiring vintage bike parts, I have no doubt you will be able to find vintage pedals on there. Sometimes new old stock items come up aswell. The seller called 'bankrupt bike parts' is very good, here is link to their shop - http://stores.ebay.co.uk/bankrupt-bike-parts I can see they have some vintage pedals on their front page so they definitely could be worth a browse!

Best wishes,

Ollie

 

[mickle]

Mickle - the citric acid in the lemon juice dissolves the coating of iron oxide (Fe2O3) on the exterior of the steel.

Rightso. My Volvo needs some.

 

[raleighnut]

Thank you very much for your further hints everyone. In answer to the questions of why don't I just get a new chain - this is a vintage bicycle, I love to restore as much of the original parts as possible rather than replacing them with modern ones. There's a certain satisfaction from knowing you have been able to restore the original component. Plus, the lemon juice and steel wool only cost me £1.50.

I doubt very much that the chain is original(unless the bike has hardly ever been ridden). Chains, like tyres and brake pads wear out and need to be replaced regularly as do cables, pedals and wheels albeit not as frequently for the latter items.
After you've cleaned the rust off the chain you could try submerging it in oil, best done by heating the oil in an old saucepan and leaving it for half an hour or so then hooking the chain out and hanging it up at a suitable height with the pan underneath to catch the drips for a while (overnight) then simply wipe off the excess oil with a clean cloth.
As for cleaning the rust off a Brass bristled brush (sold as Suede cleaning brushes in any decent shoe shop) it far better than wire wool and vinegar is cheaper than lemon juice but works as well.

 

[the_mikey]

Bearing in mind the age of the chain in question and the attention being given to it, it seems entirely possible that the chain is actually worn out, while still functional it could be increasing the wear on the chainrings and rear sprockets. I'd advise the original poster to be mindful of chain wear and source a replacement chain to cover this eventuality.

 

[mickle]

Yah. Chains aren't something one should become too emotionally attached to. They should be replaced before they wreck the rest of the transmission, antique/vintage/original or not.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I doubt very much that the chain is original(unless the bike has hardly ever been ridden).
After you've cleaned the rust off the chain you could try submerging it in oil, best done by heating the oil in an old saucepan and leaving it for half an hour or so then hooking the chain out and hanging it up at a suitable height with the pan underneath to catch the drips for a while (overnight) then simply wipe off the excess oil with a clean cloth.
.

I don't understand the rationale behind this process. Hot oil, timing, dripping, excess?

 

[raleighnut]

I don't understand the rationale behind this process. Hot oil, timing, dripping, excess?

Its a home version of what Campagnolo do when they assemble chains but they do it on a machine that is part of the assembly line. I watched it during an episode of 'How Its Made' on TV a couple of years ago, the chain travels through a bath of hot oil and then brushes clear the excess back into the bath.
(bit difficult to do without a multi-million Lire machine)

 

[Smurfy]

I don't understand the rationale behind this process. Hot oil, timing, dripping, excess?

Sounds more like the goings on in a fish and chip shop than a bike shop!

 

[Citius]

Its a home version of what Campagnolo do when they assemble chains but they do it on a machine that is part of the assembly line. I watched it during an episode of 'How Its Made' on TV a couple of years ago, the chain travels through a bath of hot oil and then brushes clear the excess back into the bath.
(bit difficult to do without a multi-million Lire machine)

With respect, most automotive oils flow perfectly well at room temperature, so heating it will do nothing to make it penetrate into the chain better - it will just make the oil hotter, which is a bit pointless.

I suspect what Campag uses is something more akin to the motorcycle oil baths which use a very thick wax (when cold) that needs to be heated on the stove in order to achieve a good flow rate. Putoline still makes something similar, but it's overkill for a cycle chain.

 

[OllieVintage]

I doubt very much that the chain is original(unless the bike has hardly ever been ridden). Chains, like tyres and brake pads wear out and need to be replaced regularly as do cables, pedals and wheels albeit not as frequently for the latter items.
After you've cleaned the rust off the chain you could try submerging it in oil, best done by heating the oil in an old saucepan and leaving it for half an hour or so then hooking the chain out and hanging it up at a suitable height with the pan underneath to catch the drips for a while (overnight) then simply wipe off the excess oil with a clean cloth.
As for cleaning the rust off a Brass bristled brush (sold as Suede cleaning brushes in any decent shoe shop) it far better than wire wool and vinegar is cheaper than lemon juice but works as well.

Bearing in mind the age of the chain in question and the attention being given to it, it seems entirely possible that the chain is actually worn out, while still functional it could be increasing the wear on the chainrings and rear sprockets. I'd advise the original poster to be mindful of chain wear and source a replacement chain to cover this eventuality.

Yah. Chains aren't something one should become too emotionally attached to. They should be replaced before they wreck the rest of the transmission, antique/vintage/original or not.

Hi raleighnut,

Thank you very much for your tip of the brass bristled brush - I did find that the steel wool tended to flake off and make a mess everywhere so that is very much appreciated. Whether or not heating the oil will make a difference I appreciate your suggestion. I think the chain is original, as the previous and only owner stored it for most of its life, however I have definitely been giving replacing it a thought with regards to the wear it may have incurred thank you.

Hi the mikey,

Thank you very much for your input, greatly appreciated. It has made me alert to the fact that keeping this chain may actually do my bike harm, which I had not thought about. I will likely source a replacement soon now.

Hi mickle,

Yes I have been made aware that keeping the chain may actually damage the bike, and so I will definely not be regarding the chain as something to try to keep original anymore, thank you. Haha I love Volvos! I used to have a big interest in them, especially the retro boxy models like the 740/60. What model do you own? Yeah lemon juice is good, I use it over vinegar mainly just because of the smell when I'm having to work close up with parts for an extended period of time, but vinegar is just as useful and as other posters have mentioned vinegar is cheaper. If you're looking for large volumes of degreaser that do a similar service - citrus degreaser is excellent for bikes and I expect could work well for cars. "Weldtite Citrus Degreaser" is a good one, around £13 for 1litre. There are cheaper citrus degreasers around but I have found they are often quite watered down.

 

[Citius]

"Weldtite Citrus Degreaser" is a good one, around £13 for 1litre.

Petrol is another good one - and only around £1.15 for a litre.

 

[swee'pea99]

£3.65. Sorted. (Mind, you'll likely need a chain-splitter to reduce it to the correct length. But you ought to have one o' those anyway.)